share:

FULL SYNOPSIS

powered by AFI

In the year 64 AD, Emperor Nero of Rome begins persecuting Christians for their beliefs and sentences one of Christ's apostles, Simon Peter, to death. For the benefit of two other prisoners in his cell, Simon Peter recounts some of the events of Christ's life, beginning with His birth: After being baptized by John the Baptist, Christ goes into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the Devil. Having resisted temptation, Christ then goes into Judea, where He restores a blind man's sight. Those who witness this miracle become the first of Christ's apostles. Christ then goes to the city of Samaria, but does not fear for His safety despite the intense hatred that the Samaritans feel toward the Jews. Thirsty, Christ goes to Jacob's Well for a drink of water, when a deranged man approaches Him. After Christ brings peace to the man, word begins to spread about His amazing powers. Soon, the pharisees begin to worry that Christ may undermine their power as religious authorities. Nicodemus, one of the pharisees, but a seeker of truth, is converted by Christ. Later, King Herod kills John the Baptist, and Christ prophesies that He, too, will be killed, but that He will rise again after three days. After Christ learns from Mary and Martha, the sisters of His friend Lazarus of Bethany, that their brother has sickened and died, Christ travels to Bethany with His apostles and prays for Lazarus to be raised from the dead. Later, the pharisees hear reports that Lazarus has been resurrected and offer Christ's apostle, Judas Iscariot, thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, to deliver Christ to them. During Passover in Jerusalem, Christ finds the temple overrun by money changers, and angrily expels them while Lord Zadok and other pharisees attempt to have Him incriminate Himself by defying their laws. At Mount Zion, Christ gathers His apostles for the Passover celebration and tells them that He has already been betrayed. Christ then asks Judas to go and complete his act of betrayal. When Judas returns a short time later to the garden of Gethsemane, he is accompanied by the pharisees, who arrest Christ and decide to put Him on trial immediately. The terrified apostles flee, and Christ is taken to the house of the high priest, Caiaphas. Ashamed about deserting his Savior, Simon Peter tries to find Him, but is arrested by centurions after denying knowledge of Him. Although Nicodemus attempts to defend Him, He is tried and convicted. Christ is then taken to the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, and although Pilate's wife begs her husband not to torture Christ, Pilate has Him whipped and orders his execution. Meanwhile, a totally repentant Judas returns the silver and later hangs himself. After He is crucified at Golgotha, Christ's body is placed in a tomb. Three days later, His followers go to the tomb and find that the stone blocking the entrance has been moved aside. Christ then appears to His apostles on the Mount of Olives and before He leaves them for the last time, asks His followers to go forth and preach His word to the world.